Playing board and card games without the use of my hands was nearly impossible. When I lost the ability to speak, it became even harder to play games with my family. We used a card holder to help initially, but it was a temporary solution.

A little history

As many of you know, I enjoy playing board and card games with my family. We have built up a decent collection of games over the years. I remember playing many games while we were camping like HeroScape, Ticket to Ride, and Life. We also enjoyed May I which is a card game loosely based on Rummy. The boys and I also got into Magic The Gathering. We played a lot, but my favorite times were playing without distraction when we were camping.

Introducing Board Game Arena

Fast forward to today. It became increasingly difficult to play games when I couldn’t hold cards or move pieces. We tried to make it work, but it became very difficult when speaking became more difficult. I’m not sure how we got started, but the kids introduced us to Board Game Arena (BGA). This website has 100s of board and card games converted for online play. This is awesome for me. I can play games using my eye gaze. We play games in person and virtually. I love it as I can have fun and stay connected with the family this way. I play with my kids here in Frankfort, KY, and in New Hampshire and Minnesota.

Adding more family

We got my parents playing too. They come over about once a week for lunch and a game. We started out with Rummy, and now we play Ticket to Ride. They play Rummy and Canasta with each other. My mom and I have a game of Ticket to Ride always going which is fun. Then we included my in laws in the fun with some Euchre. Always ready to add more to the fun.

Merry Meeples and my ALS peeps

I recently joined the Creative Pursuits Merry Meeples group on BGA with other people with ALS. It has been fun making new friends and learning new games. If you have ALS and want to join us, sign up here. It’s a great way to socialize with fellow pALS across the country.

See you at the tables

I am so happy I can stay engaged with family and friends this way. If you want to join me, sign up on BGA and send me your username so we can become friends and play games.